1890.] Identity of Sceparnodon and Phascolonus. 61 



with the jaws and cheek-teeth cf Phascolomys gigas. 2nd. The inci- 

 sors of Sceparnodon were decidedly of a Wombat-like type, differing 

 mainly from those of existing Wombats by their large size and 

 excessive flattening and expansion. 3rd. One of the incisors of 

 Sceparnodon agreed so closely in the structure of the enamel, and the 

 reddish stains upon the same, with an upper premolar of Phascolomys 

 gigas, that I even suggested both teeth might have belonged to the 

 same individual animal. 



As the result of the above it was concluded that the teeth described 

 as Sceparnodon Ramsay i were probably the upper incisors of Phascolomys 

 gigas, and on this supposition it was considered that the latter was 

 generically distinct from existing Wombats, and it was accordingly 

 entered as Phascolonus gigas in the Museum catalogue. 



Thns the matter stood till a short time ago, when I visited the 

 Exhibition of the Mineralogical Products of New South Wales, recently 

 held at the Crystal Palace. Among the specimens exhibited was a 

 small collection of Mammalian remains, obtained from clay beds, 

 near Miall Creek, in the neighbourhood of Bingera, a station lying 

 close to the northern border of New South Wales. These deposits, 

 which have only recently been brought to notice, and appear to be full 

 of Mammalian remains, have been described by Mr. W. Anderson, in 

 the ' Records of the Geological Survey of New South Wales.'* All 

 the bones from these beds are of a characteristic pale-brown colour, 

 by which they can be distinguished at a glance from those of all other 

 Australian deposits. The following account is taken from Mr. Ander- 

 son's report, in order to give an idea of the richness of these ossiferous 

 deposits. This writer observes that " several tons of bones were 

 recovered, but the majority of them were more or less broken, 

 although many perfect specimens were procured. Those which 

 occurred most frequently in the deposit were the long bones of the 

 limbs, the small bones of their distal extremities, and vertebras, and, 

 as a rule, these were also the most perfect, and in the best state of 

 preservation. Rib bones were rather common, but were mostly 

 broken into short fragments. Of the vertebrae, specimens of the 

 axis and atlas were usually found entire, both in the case of those 

 which had belonged to the smaller animals, such as the Kangaroo 

 (Macropws), &c., and also to the larger forms, such as Diprotodon, &c. 

 Generally, however, only the bodies of the other vertebrae remained, 

 the spines and the various processes having been broken off. Jaws, 

 both large and small, occurred frequently, while isolated teeth were 

 very abundant. The lower jaws of the larger forms were more fre- 

 quently met with than the upper ; indeed, the latter were rather rare. 

 When they did occur, however, they never formed part of an entire 

 cranium, but always consisted of the upper maxillary and palatal 

 * Vol. 1, pp. 116225 (1839). 



